Canal du Midi

Vacation. Two weeks off. What to do? Why not ride along the Canal du Midi! Sure why not. A little history.

From 1667-1694 to open a passage between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, Paul Riquet conceived and realized this canal that connects the river Garronne, that goes from Bordeaux to Toulouse, to the city of Marseillan next to the sea. It is mostly flat and from Toulouse to Marseillan it actually goes down in elevation a little. Through a series of locks, boats pass all year round from one end to the other. Lakes were created in the Black Mountains to feed the canal during the summer months when the water lever would be significantly lower (average depth is 6 ft). Beside the river are planted about 60,000 plane trees. They were planted for shade, to reduce evaporation, to provide a layer of protection so that the water is not absorbed as quickly into the ground, and to strengthen the banks, but their roots come up on the path and make for some interesting speed bumps.

A fellow teacher, a real one, not like me, and her boyfriend decided to undertake this journey with enthusiasm. We initially wanted to do the whole thing in five days, that is less than twenty miles a day, and I was about as stoked on that as another year of teaching in France. This eventually evolved into 60 km (~36 mi) per day and the return trip as well. So about six days total. Four days in the weather changed, and we decided to head back.

Beautiful weather, between four and five hours of biking each day and plenty of singing and pedaling, and seeing this beautiful country and the people that make it. A typical day would be us getting up at about 9, eating some breakfast, which got bigger and bigger as the days went on, being on the trail by tenthirty and ridingandridingandstoppingandtalkingandridingsomemmore until lunch. That was always the longest part of the day. Mandatory two hour lunch and nap, and then back in the saddle. Another two hours or so, one day three until we arrived at our hotel, tired and happy and ready to eat everything in sight. The pace wasn't all that bad, a cool 9 miles an hour, but constantly getting out of the saddle or posting (fixie term meaning to pedal while lifting your butt off the seat, instead of coasting) to go over a root or rock in the path, that was the tiring part. But I found myself being very content most of the time as we rolled along each day. Saying 'bonjour' to i don't remember how many people and almost falling into the canal once.

The best was seeing this family of seven i think, i don't know if they were all five the kids of these parents, but they had all they needed strapped to their backs, and the kids would shoot off to the next bridge or lock and then wait for their parents who were carrying all the essentials, and rolling at a less than adolescent and pre-pubescent pace. Cheers to parents still getting after it with their kids!

Sign ups are available with me to come back and do it in a few years. Cheers.